Bonn Parliament Gets Bill Forcing Retirement of Ex-nazi Judges

December 2, 1963

BONN (Dec. 1)

A bill to force the retirement of West German judges with Nazi records was introduced in the Bundesrat, the Upper House of Parliament, yesterday.

The measure was sponsored by George Zinn, Minister President of the State of Hesse, who is the chief representative of Hesse in the Bundesrat. Under the bill, judges and prosecutors who handed down “inhuman death sentences” or were otherwise implicated in Nazi crimes during the Hitler era, could be forcibly retired.

Under the present law, retirement is possible only if the judge or prosecutor consents to retire. The measure was co-sponsored by the delegate from the city-state of Hamburg.